A/N Thanks to Briroch for checking this story over for me.

Disclaimer:

I do not profit from the characters from "The Streets Of San Francisco" I am not the creator of the series, that is Quinn Martin.

Why? A Cop's Daughter Asks

Jeannie's POV:

"Why Do They Do This?

They are two of the finest cops you will ever find anywhere, but then I am biased. Sometimes it seems they are the only two homicide detectives in San Francisco.

There are dangers and rewards with the job they have to do. Yet there are times I swear those two men in my life are going to put me in an early grave. The injuries I have heard of I know are probably just a tiny particle of their injuries all told.

Any grave error made could mean I would be visiting a cemetery rather than a hospital. Still so many times I ask myself why they do this job?

I have come to the conclusion it is because they believe that everyone has a right to have justice regardless of if it's civilian or criminal.

I might be part of the younger generation but I respect law and order and am thankful men like Mike and Steve are here to protect all of us on the streets of San Francisco

Mike:

I know being a cop's daughter and wife or girlfriend as the case may be, is not easy on Jeannie. Yet when she fell in love with Steve she should have known what was in store for her from the start.

At this stage in her life she should know that we can't always choose our hours and there are times we have to put the job first.

We tried to explain why the dinner plans fell through when we finally got home that night, but she just got mad. I understand my daughter, when Jeannie doesn't let you get a sentence in edgewise I know she is highly upset. Then I started to realize it was something much more than dinner that was bothering her and urged Steve to go and speak with her once again.

It finally came out that at the bottom of it all was the worry she has over both of us doing the job we do. I know that she often wonders what makes us tick, why we decided to join the police. Becoming a cop was what a kid did that grew up in the neighborhood I was raised in. You either became a cop, a priest or a crook. Well even though I was a fine altar boy I leaned towards being a cop.

To be honest, sometimes wonder why I became a cop myself, but I did not want to just sit by and let others be only ones trying to stop the bad guys even if some were friends. So I joined the fight along with others and was trained by the finest man I have ever met- before I met Steve, that is.

Gus was truly a mentor to me and made me the cop I am today without him who knows where I would be. He always said: "Mike remember the truth, always do things the right way as a cop, and then you can sleep at night.

Well, he trained me well and that is exactly how I have been trying to train Steve so that he will not harbor any doubts at all about his job choice. I know Gus had dreams beyond the job he and Stella had planned to go see Boston Harbor.

Yet he never made it but his training lives on in me and in Steve and any and all boys I coach for PAL(Police Athletic League) and all other cops he helped bring up.

Yes men like Gus are why I stayed a cop all the years though I know it was hard on Helen and our daughter.

I know that Jeannie wishes Steve would do something less dangerous than being a cop and that I would just totally retire. Well we both understand the fears she has and will not make light of them as I myself feel a deep fear every time Steve has been injured on the job that one day will be the final day. I told her the same thing her mother had been told so many times. Helen knew what I was when she met me and we fell in love and she still married me. For now I think that settled her down but she made us promise that when they passed sentence on the suspects that we were after that she could be there with us.

She is a fine daughter and a fine wife for Steve and when the time comes will be a fine mother, after all she is mine and Helen's daughter. I just wish though he had taken me up on my offer to go home early...

Steve :

Jeannie knew what I did for a living well before we ever got together.

I also know she wonders why I became a cop when I had other options, why I do what her dad does. Well, it is simply because of men like him. There are some bad cops sure, but for every bad one there are many more Mike Stones. Men who truly care and who want to make things right for all, not just a few. Thanks to him I'm an even better cop. He has taught me things they never had in any books.

I made the choice without reservation even though I knew that one day I would have to put my life on the line.

I know missing that date was a huge disappointment to her, it was to me too. There are times when being a cop can have its benefits, but also it can cause problems with plans you have with loved ones. But I don't harbour any doubt that women like Jeannie will either stick with you or drop you by the way side. Luckily for me Jeannie is a sticker she doesn't let a blown dinner reservation be an excuse to drop what we have.

I know she will have every right to be angry and upset. I don't blame her but I can't help what my job is or can I? Maybe I should have stayed in law school. Jeannie has asked me countless times to return, so that I would be somewhere safer.

I knew while I was sitting in the car, that I needed to get hold of Jeannie and tell her I didn't think I would be able to make it on time. Stake outs are not always the best things to be on, when you have dinner plans.

I felt bad as this was supposed to be a special night for Jeannie. She had just been awarded a certificate for meritorious service in her career field and I really hated to let her down. Just as I was about to get out and use the phone booth across the street, our suspect made his move.

Mike and I followed the suspect close but not too close. Just as we thought, he was leading us right to where we had heard the main boss was staying. Little did I know though before this ride was over I would be regretting not taking Mike up on his offer to let me go early.

When we got to where the suspect led us, once again we parked and waited. Mike was just about to radio in for another unit so I would not be too late, when we heard gun shots.

He called in our position as I was dashing toward the sounds without reservation. When I got to the house our suspect had entered, I felt something hit me across the back of my head and I went down.

I should have gone home early..."